ICC World Cup 2019 | Vijay Shankar breaks his silence over Ambati Rayudu Tweet

Indian all-rounder Vijay Shankar missed out the first warm-up game against New Zealand on Saturday after suffering an injury scare during a practice session last week. However, BCCI confirmed that Shankar did not suffer any major injury and will continue to remain in England and fight for a spot in the starting XI for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2019 which starts on May 30.

However, Shankar’s inclusion in the 15-man squad came as a surprise to many Indian fans and critics as they expected veteran batsman Ambati Rayudu to make the cut instead. The CSK batsman was left gobsmacked at being overlooked and took to popular social media site - Twitter - to express his grievances in a rather humorous and controversial manner. 

But Shankar, who played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the recently concluded IPL, revealed that he empathised with his compatriot and held no grudges against Rayudu for posting that Tweet.

“I know for the fact that how a cricketer would feel if they are not being picked. I can understand from a player’s point of view. And I know for the fact that he didn’t mean it to me. It was just that he put that tweet for the sake of it. I can understand the situation in which he was. It is fine for any cricketer,” Shankar told Gaurav Kapoor on a talk show.